


Rise to the Occasion

by jusdefraise, penguinberryfest



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Drama, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Minor Character Death, Only One Bed, Strangers to Lovers, age gap, royalty!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-11 13:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19928704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jusdefraise/pseuds/jusdefraise, https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinberryfest/pseuds/penguinberryfest
Summary: In an act of desperation, King Kyungsoo turns to the northern kingdom for help in defending his coasts from invasion. He doesn’t expect a marriage proposal in return.





	Rise to the Occasion

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt: PB17** \- king kyungsoo is worried about the enemy warships that threaten to invade the southern coast of his kingdom. in desperation he turns to king baekhyun to the north, who has an army big enough to aid him in defending the southern coast. baekhyun is willing to help, but only if kyungsoo will agree to marry him.    
>  **Disclaimer: penguin berry fest does not own exo and/or any characters that are mentioned in the stories.** their appearance in these fics do not represent them in real life. **we are also NOT the writers or authors of said fics.** authors will be tagged after reveals unless they wish to remain anonymous.
> 
> ~
> 
> hello everyone! i just wanted to say that i worked really, really hard on this fic and as of currently, it is my longest fic and my only baeksoo!! i think its nice that my first baeksoo is a royalty au lol its one of my favorite aus. 
> 
> **WARNING!** there is an age gap of nine years. ksoo is 20 and bbh is 29. this story also has ksoo dealing w loss and he has anxiety. its mentioned quite a bit throughout the fic so pls tread w caution. 
> 
> i want to say a huge THANK YOU!! to the mods for working with me while i was writing this fic. i got really caught up with Real Life Shit and the mods were so kind, always giving me more time to work even though i cut it pretty close to deadlines. thank you so, so much mods. yall have my heart. 
> 
> thank you, dear prompter, for this beauty of a prompt. as soon as i saw it, i knew it had to be mine. i took some liberties w the marriage part of the prompt and i wish i had some time to write at least one little smut scene but either way, i hope you enjoy it (even if its only a little bit i will consider it a win) ((and who knows if there will be a pt2 w some smexy scenes))
> 
> (also, mini shout out to all my followers on twitter, who've had to hear me whine abt writing for months. i also wanna thank T, who's always been my cheerleader. u have no idea how much u mean to me :( thank u)
> 
> without further ado, this is rise to the occasion!!

“Your Majesty.”

Kyungsoo hums, not looking up from the battle plans laid on the table. The surface is completely covered in maps, plans, treaty drafts, and past treaties. He’s been standing at this spot, analyzing for hours, ever since he was informed of the Survina warships anchored twenty miles from the southern shore of his kingdom, Marenia. 

“Your Majesty,” Jongdae tries again, voice taking a bit of an edge. “You must rest if you wish to properly execute a plan. We can look at these in the morning. For now, you need to sleep.”

At that, Kyungsoo looks up at his head advisor, his closest friend, and sighs. He straightens up, wincing at the pain in his lower back from being bent over the desk for too long. He rolls his neck and walks over to where Jongdae stands in the doorway. They lean into each other as they walk out, pausing when Kyungsoo locks the door to his study.

“Where are the guards?” he mumbles, brows furrowing at the thought of his personal guards seemingly disappearing.

Jongdae snorts and wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s waist, leading him towards the royal chambers. “I sent them to their quarters. They were sleeping standing up. Hardly providing any sort of protection in that state, if you ask me.”

Kyungsoo merely shakes his head and leans more into his friend, blinking sleepily when Jongdae gives his hip a slight squeeze. Once they get to the room, Jongdae stands outside the door and says, “Please sleep, your Majesty. I understand your concern about the Survina ships, but the other advisors and I will assist you in every way possible tomorrow, after you’ve rested. We will have a solution.”

Kyungsoo stares at the worn wood of the door, the carvings decades years old and symbolic of the brilliant kings and queens that ruled before him. 

“When you have the entirety of a nation looking to you for comfort and reassurance in a situation where you have neither of those things,” Kyungsoo says, “the weight of it is absolutely unbearable.” He pushes the door open and whispers a quiet “good night” and shuts the door before he can hear Jongdae’s reply. 

Kyungsoo begins to undress, slipping only a pair of light cotton pants on to sleep and leaving his chest bare. When he sinks into his bed, a bed too big for one man, he begins to think of the possible solutions, the papers from his study basically imprinted into his brain from so much rereading. As he compares his options, the familiar feeling of anxiety and loneliness fill his stomach like lead. He didn’t ask to be King so soon, not when his mother had been crowned queen just over a decade ago. The sudden loss of his parents was something that was in the furthest part of his mind, always pushed aside so that he may fulfill his duties as King.

However, when presented with challenges such as these, the lack of guidance and reassurance is suffocating.

He tosses and turns for another hour, thinking of alliances and treaties and perhaps even starting a war. It’s only when he’s about to slip into a fitful sleep that he thinks of something that might work. 

~

The next day finds Kyungsoo surrounded by his advisors and the top generals of his military. They’ve been seated in the dining room since breakfast discussing multiple ways to approach the Survina warships, and Kyungsoo has yet to offer the solution he thought up last night. It’s nearing midday and a servant comes in to announce that lunch will be served in about an hour. Next to him, Jongdae sighs at the lack of progress.

“Your Majesty,” the advisor to his left says, “The only solution is to let the Queen have what she wants. We all know that she will only continue to fight until she gets it. This is the easiest way to solve the issue at hand.”

“And let her take half of our lands simply for her own gain?” another advisor refutes. “She is only doing this because her and her family have never liked the Marenian royal family and she will make sure to see the Young King’s downfall. Submitting to her will do nothing but harm the kingdom.”

Jongdae cuts off the first advisor’s response by turning to Kyungsoo and asking gently, “Your Majesty, do you have any ideas that haven’t been presented?”

Kyungsoo glances around the long table and stands from his seat at the very end. He clasps his hands behind his back and silently wills them to stop sweating. He straightens his posture and all the advisors shrink slightly at the sight of their King.

“Last night, I thought of many ideas while I was in my chambers. I thought about a treaty, about fighting back, about submitting to her,” Kyungsoo lets out a small sigh through his nose. He moves to walk around the dining room, peering up at the paintings hanging on the walls of all the past rulers of Marenia. The advisors follow him with their eyes as he slowly moves from one painting to the next.

“And then I thought about their outcomes. They were not very favorable, regardless of the many ways to approach each solution,” he says, stopping in front of the large painting of his mother. He turns to look at his advisors. “So I thought of something else.”

“What is that, Your Majesty?” one of the younger advisors pipes up. Kyungsoo looks at her and gives her a half-smile.

“Ask for help,” he says, frowning slightly when the other advisors immediately begin to talk over each other, each of them agreeing or disagreeing with him. He simply holds up a hand and they are silenced.

“I’ve thought about which kingdom to ask,” Kyungsoo turns back to his mother’s portrait. “Norina is a large, resourceful kingdom with the naval power needed to resolve this. Besides, my grandmother was close friends with their former king. I’m sure King Baekhyun will remember this and be kind to us. I’m sure he will be merciful. Helpful.”

He turns and walks back to his rightful place at the head, placing his hands on the smooth wood of the table. He looks at each of the advisors in the eye, locking eyes with Jongdae last and asking, “Is this something we can all agree is our best plan?”

Jongdae seems to pause, pondering for a moment, before he nods once, then twice. “Yes,” he says. “I think this is the best way. Perhaps the only way.” The slight smile he sends Kyungsoo has pride tucked in its edges and Kyungsoo feels some of the pressure ease off his shoulders.

The oldest advisor begins drafting a letter for a meeting with King Baekhyun and his advisors, showing it to Kyungsoo for approval before she closes it in an envelope and stamps it with the Marenian seal. He takes the letter and sends the advisors and generals away to eat their meals elsewhere, tired of looking at their faces and hearing their voices.

The messenger boy comes to receive the letter right as lunch is being set out for Kyungsoo and Jongdae. Kyungsoo hands him the letter and whispers, “Take the fastest horse you can, boy. The fate of this kingdom rests in this envelope.” The boy’s eyes widen and he bows deeply before darting out of the room and sprinting down the halls.

Kyungsoo stands in the doorway, watching the boy run, and doesn’t startle when Jongdae hooks a chin onto his shoulder to watch as well. “I want that boy’s pay doubled this month,” Kyungsoo murmurs, shrugging Jongdae off when the advisor huffs out a laugh.

“Oh, my Young King,” he says, guiding Kyungsoo to the table so he can eat his lunch. “May your generous heart never change.”

~

Three days later, with the Survina ships getting closer and closer each passing day, the same messenger boy comes into Kyungsoo’s study with an enclosed envelope. He looks tired yet determined, and Kyungsoo pats his head when he walks up to the Young King. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “Take your leave, boy. Eat a good meal. You’ve done well.” The boy departs with a smile and leaves Kyungsoo alone with the message.

Kyungsoo takes a seat at his desk and stares at the wax seal of the envelope. The wax is a pure white, the emblem of Norina stamped in a little lopsided, as if it was stamped in a rush. He drags his fingers across it and takes a deep breath before opening it.

He reads the first few lines when his hands start trembling and his eyes widen.

“Oh,” he whispers. His hand shakily covers his mouth. “Oh my, God.” 

~

“Marriage?! Who does he think he is?”

Jongdae paces the study, letter clenched in his hand. He stops after a few steps to look at Kyungsoo, waving his arms about in disbelief.

“Marriage in exchange for aid? This… This is unreasonable, Your Majesty,” Jongdae says, walking to the desk and sliding the letter to Kyungsoo to read, as if Kyungsoo hasn’t read it a hundred times already. “You cannot accept this! Surely another kingdom will help. If I hurry and draft another message, we will have enough time.”

He grabs a spare sheet of paper and dips a quill in ink and is about to begin writing when Kyungsoo places a hand over the paper. Jongdae looks up in confusion. “My King?”

“I will speak with him,” Kyungsoo says softly. His eyes are tired and the slump of his shoulders is more pronounced than the past few days. “I will hear what he has to say.”

“What?” Jongdae whispers, completely shocked. “Why?”

Kyungsoo is quiet for a moment before he says, “At this point, I will do anything.”

He removes the paper and quill from Jongdae’s hands and writes a simple note.

_ Come to my palace as soon as you can. We will discuss this in person _ .

Kyungsoo places it in an envelope and pours the deep purple wax onto the envelope, carefully stamping the seal. He hands it to Jongdae and sighs. 

“Send it. This is our only hope.”

~

Kyungsoo sits in the dining room, wine glass filled with a deep red wine that’s been untouched. He takes a deep breath every few minutes to calm his nerves and drums his fingers against the glossy wood table. A servant asks if he would like a different wine, thinking that is not to his King’s liking, but Kyungsoo merely shakes his head and gives him a barely there smile.

Jongdae walks in a moment later, his face void of emotion, and says, “Look alive, Your Majesty. He’ll be walking in shortly.”

Kyungsoo stands from his seat and discreetly wipes his hands on his trousers, taking one last deep breath when King Baekhyun finally walks in.

They’ve only met a handful of times, all of them at formal events. Without the stuffy, lavish clothing, King Baekhyun looks much younger, but no less handsome. As soon as his eyes land on Kyungsoo, his lips twitch, as if he’s hiding a smile. His eyes glint with something Kyungsoo can’t pinpoint and if his ears turn a little pink at the attention from the handsome man, no one says anything.

“King Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, breaking the quiet of the room. “Lovely to see you outside of formal events. Well, as lovely as can be considering the circumstances.” He gives Kyungsoo a little smirk and holds out his hand. Kyungsoo takes a deep breath through his nose and gives Baekhyun’s hand a firm shake.

“King Baekhyun,” he says, gesturing to the seat in front of him. “Please, sit. I’m sure you’re tired from your traveling. I apologize for the rush, but as you can see, I’m limited on time.”

“I’m sure it was a surprise to see Survina ships out in your waters,” Baekhyun says, taking his seat. He shakes his head at the offer of wine and asks for ale. “I know I was most certainly confused to find out the Queen had chosen now of all times to stage such a show. You’ve only barely turned 20.”

Kyungsoo raises a brow at that and glances at Jongdae, who is standing by the doors. The advisor merely shrugs and shakes his head. “What do you mean?”

Baekhyun chuckles lightly before stopping, realizing Kyungsoo is serious. “You mean you don’t know?” At Kyungsoo’s expression, Baekhyun leans back in his chair in disbelief. “Young King, Survina has the right to overthrow you unless you marry before your 21st birthday. I was so sure you had asked for my help for this very reason.”

The room is filled with silence, the shock nearly palpable in the air. After a moment, Jongdae steps forward, bowing to Baekhyun and asking, “Your Highness, what… what do you mean they have the ‘right’?”

Baekhyun glances towards his party of guards and advisors, gesturing for one of them to step forward. A tall young man, probably no more than 25 years of age, steps forward and bows to the two Kings. 

“King Kyungsoo, I am Sehun, my King’s most trusted advisor. If I may, I will explain to you the grounds on which your kingdom and Survina made this agreement and how we may resolve this conflict.”

Kyungsoo looks to Baekhyun, who gives him a small nod, and accepts, asking for the servants to bring chairs for the advisors. The guards are dismissed to make rounds in and around the palace, lest any Survina spies were lurking. They were never known to be an honest kingdom.

“Your Highness, many years ago, the two kingdoms came to an agreement of sorts,” Sehun begins. He pulls a thick, worn book from his bag and flips to a certain page. “A war was in the midst of breaking, purely because the queen of Marenia at the time, your grandmother, was unwed and seen unfit to take the throne. She was just shy of her 19th birthday.”

Kyungsoo gestures to the book and Sehun pushes it over to him, pointing to where the book discusses the agreement. “Like the current Queen of Survina, the king during this time was very… adamant on becoming the most powerful kingdom. One of those ways was to take over Marenia or, at least, absorb it into his own kingdom. With more land and more subjects, he would have the largest kingdom on the peninsula,” Sehun pauses with slight hesitation and, with an encouraging nod from Kyungsoo, continues. “And he likely would have forced your grandmother into marriage.”

Kyungsoo’s breath is nearly knocked out of him and he has to take a moment to sit back in his chair. Jongdae is quick to ask questions for him. “How was this resolved? We know the queen was wed, but was it for this matter?”

“Yes.” This time, it’s Baekhyun who speaks up. “My grandfather was the queen’s closest friend at the time. Although he was only a prince at the time, he decided to help and he convinced the king and queen to name one of their best knights the duke of a plot of land somewhere in our kingdom. By the time he had fulfilled all of his necessary duties as a duke, the queen was a few months from her 21st birthday and they wed.”

“Your families and the surrounding kingdoms decided to keep this agreement a hush matter, however your mother wed when she was 18, as you know, just to be sure. I’m sure she meant to tell you but,” Sehun says, voice going quiet, “the circumstances must not have allowed it.”

The room is somber at the mention of the late queen and king and Kyungsoo allows a few more moments of quiet before he decides they need to continue. 

“What exactly did you have in mind?” he says, glancing between Baekhyun and Sehun. “We get married and she is just supposed to… retreat?”

“Your Highness, our initial plan was to have you wed quickly and quietly and to then begin to negotiate with Survina to get rid of this, quite frankly, ridiculous agreement, as well as to see what to do to prevent any sort of threats in the future,” Sehun says and pulls out a few sheets of paper with meticulous plans. He passes them to Jongdae, who begins to look over them, humming every few paragraphs. “The agreement was made hastily to appease the king and it might not be undone very quickly, but I can assure you that it can be. You are a stronger kingdom now and with our help, it will most certainly be done.”

“Once negotiations are over and hopefully the Queen is appeased, we may decide from there the fate of our kingdoms and the marriage,” Baekhyun says. He leans in slightly and gives Kyungsoo a look that makes him feel as though the tension is lifting off his shoulders, piece by piece. “Kyungsoo,” he says softly, dropping all titles, and Kyungsoo feels his last piece of stress dissipate into thin air. “Our kingdoms are in a strong alliance with each other. We have helped in this situation before and all I wish is to help you again. Are you willing to do this?”

Kyungsoo glances back at the painting of his mother, the most beautiful and regal queen the kingdom had ever seen. She would have done anything to prevent harm to the kingdom and its subjects. It is something Kyungsoo learned from her. 

Giving one last look into Baekhyun’s gentle eyes, he gives a firm nod. “I would do anything for my kingdom.”

~

The wedding is small and happens within two days of Baekhyun’s arrival. Only the advisors and guards of both kingdoms are present, along with a few of Kyungsoo’s favored servants. The head priestess declares them married by tying a purple and white ribbon around their conjoined hands. When it came time for a kiss, Baekhyun merely pressed his lips into Kyungsoo’s cheek, smiling softly when he pulled back. The younger pointedly ignored the small swoop of disappointment in his stomach.

That night, Kyungsoo is in his study long after everyone has gone asleep. He reads and rereads the plans Sehun had drafted, trying to close all loopholes and think of solutions to any and all problems that may pop up. He feels restless and nervous, like he can’t even breathe with the tendrils of anxiety wrapped around his ribs. It’s only when he hears a soft knocking at the door that he feels himself suck in a deep breath.

“Come in,” he says and he’s not sure who he was expecting at the door at this time of night, but it certainly was not Baekhyun.

“Oh,” Kyungsoo says. Baekhyun walks over to the desk and takes one of the papers on it. “I wasn’t expecting you to be awake.”

“The same can be said for you,” Baekhyun chuckles. He sets the paper back where he found it and begins to organize the other ones strewn along the desk, avoiding the plans Kyungsoo is reading. “Is there any reason why you can’t sleep, Young King?”

Kyungsoo keeps his gaze on Baekhyun’s hands and watching as the man shuffles papers into piles and setting them into sections on the desk. At the younger’s silence, Baekhyun pauses. “Your Highness?”

“There’s no need for titles,” Kyungsoo says finally. He meets Baekhyun’s gaze but only for a second, focusing on the mole dotting the man’s cheek. “Neither of us are above the other. We are equals.”

“Is that for you to decide?” Baekhyun says, his lips twitching at corners. “I am older than you.”

Kyungsoo picks up on the teasing quickly and shakes his head, looking back at the papers. “Only by nine years. Besides, we’re married, aren’t we?” He chances a glance at the now smiling King. “Equals.”

“I always knew there was a little playfulness under the serious face you put on,” Baekhyun says, voice tinged with amusement. “You are the youngest King after all.”

Kyungsoo says nothing and finally decides to tuck the plans away into a drawer, turning a key into the lock to keep it safe. When he tucks the key into his pocket, he gives Baekhyun a tightlipped smile. “Well, when you’re a King as young as I am, you must act differently for others to take you seriously.” He walks over to the door and opens it, gesturing for Baekhyun to take his leave as well.

They walk quietly back to their rooms, Baekhyun’s guest chambers just down the hallway from Kyungsoo’s, and before Kyungsoo can walk past him, Baekhyun grabs his arm.

“Kyungsoo,” he murmurs, “do you… want to talk to me?”

Kyungsoo gives him a slightly confused look. “Why would I? Is there something important I missed in the plans?” When Baekhyun shakes his head, his eyebrows furrow more.

“If you wanted to talk to me about anything,” Baekhyun says, voice just above a whisper, “your fears, your burdens, your… grief, I will be here to listen. If you wish to drop our titles when we’re together, consider me your friend.”

Kyungsoo feels Baekhyun’s hand move from his arm to the slight of his wrist, his thumb carressing the inside of it softly. He pulls his hand so that their fingers intertwine. He gives Baekhyun a warm smile and their fingers tighten as Baekhyun sends one back.

“Thank you, Baekhyun,” he says. “For everything. Truly, I thank you.”

Baekhyun gives his hand one last squeeze before dropping it and opening his door. “It’s my pleasure, Kyungsoo. Sleep well. If you can’t sleep…” Baekhyun trails off and then nods and quietly closes the door.

Kyungsoo stands there for a moment longer before slipping inside his bedroom and falling into a dreamless sleep.

~

Jongdae and Sehun are awake before dawn to draft a formal letter requesting negotiations with the Queen of Survina and to prevent her ships from moving any closer. Since the arrival of Baekhyun and his entourage, the ships have stayed anchored just fifteen miles offshore, not wanting to risk a fight with two kingdoms. While the danger is not completely gone, the anchoring of the ships gives the kingdom a sigh of relief and it’s easier for the citizens and the King to go about their day.

At breakfast, Kyungsoo is the first to the dining room, a variety of foods and drinks set out for the two Kings. He waits for Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Sehun and speaks with a few servants about their days in the palace and their living conditions. He makes a mental note to provide more blankets and coats for them since winter is fast approaching and it is expected to be a harsh one.

Baekhyun walks in only minutes after Kyungsoo, looking bright and fresh this early in the morning. The back of his hair is slightly damp, most likely from a morning bath, and he smiles at Kyungsoo and the servants. 

“Good morning, Kyungsoo,” he says, reaching for a ripe strawberry from the arrangement of fruit in the middle of the table. He takes a seat and bites into the flesh, letting out a small hum when the sweetness hits his tongue. “Sehun and Jongdae said to begin eating. They shouldn’t take much longer.”

“Alright,” Kyungsoo says and bites into a bit of egg with ham. He chews carefully and swallows before asking, “Did you sleep well, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun smiles around a mouthful of food and nods. “I did, thank you. Did you? One of your servants shared with me that you haven’t been sleeping well lately,” he says, his hand covering his full mouth. His eyes ask a question of their own, but Kyungsoo can’t seem to figure out just exactly what it is.

“I will admit that since the day you’ve agreed to help me, I’ve slept more than I have in the past few months,” Kyungsoo says and keeps his eyes on his plate of food, avoiding Baekhyun’s gaze. “Being King is certainly not easy.”

“Yes,” Baekhyun says quietly. “It certainly isn’t.” There’s a moment of silence before the older King goes back to scraping the food on his plate.

By the time Sehun and Jongdae arrive with the letter, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo have finished their breakfast and started talking about almost every topic one can think of. From their studies when they were princes to the weather in their appropriate kingdoms, they talked about it all. In between laughing at Baekhyun’s silly jokes and sympathizing with the dread of taking etiquette classes at a young age, Kyungsoo had even forgotten why Baekhyun was here in the first place. He feels as though he and Baekhyun have been friends for ages.

“Don’t mind us, Your Majesty,” Jongdae said, giving Kyungsoo a sly smirk when he and Sehun walked in as Kyungsoo was catching his breath from laughing so much. “It’s not like we were slaving away to write this letter and save the kingdom or anything.”

“Oh, quiet, Jongdae,” Kyungsoo says, shaking his head as he tries to will away the grin on his face. He fails. “You took a while. Please, help yourselves.”

“The letter took some time to write,” Sehun says, reaching for the bowl of melon and placing a few onto his plate. “You must tread lightly with Survina. Their rulers were always known for twisting words and taking offense to minor things. We tried our best to write it well so she couldn’t put words into our mouths.”

Baekhyun took the letter from Jongdae’s outstretched hand and walked over to Kyungsoo’s seat, crouching next to it so that they may read it together. He immediately waves off the servants trying to bring him a chair and says, “I’m sure my husband doesn’t mind me here.” 

The servants break into smiles and one of the younger girls raises her eyebrows at Kyungsoo, who simply shakes his head and ignores the heat from his cheeks. He pulls Baekhyun to sit on the arm of his chair and says nothing when Baekhyun makes a small noise of surprise. He can feel Jongdae staring holes into his head, but he doesn’t look up and begins to read the letter.

The two Kings read through the letter and decide that it should be sent as soon as possible. Someone brings in wax and both Kings’ seals, unsure which seal will be used for the letter.

“Why not use Norina’s wax and Marenia’s seal?” Jongdae says, looking between the two Kings. “I’m sure the Queen will understand the message of the combination of the two elements.”

Everyone agrees and soon, the same messenger boy from before is taking the letter and running out of the palace and to his horse. “What is his name?” Kyungsoo asks Jongdae. “I’d like to find him a better job within the palace.”

Jongdae smiles at the Young King and laughs when Kyungsoo pushes at his shoulder. “Chanyeol. His family owns the bee farm that supplies our honey. He’s a hardworking boy.”

“Send his family some gold,” Kyungsoo says, taking a small sip of his peach juice. “As a thank you for raising a good young man.”

Sehun lets out a small noise and says, “You’re so generous, Your Highness. I… I wasn’t expecting you to be so soft hearted.” He turns a little pink in the ears when he realizes that his statement could come off as rude and starts to apologize, but Kyungsoo just smiles.

“I am not generous, Sehun,” he says, shifting in his seat. Baekhyun quickly stands so that Kyungsoo may stand as well. “I just care about my citizens.”

“But he’s a farm boy,” Sehun says, something unreadable in his voice. “Why should a King be worried about a farm boy and his family?”

Kyungsoo turns to Sehun and sees the slight twitch in his brow and the set of his shoulders. He looks defensive, as if any negative answer might ignite a fire in him. 

“Everyone deserves respect,” Kyungsoo says. He places a hand on Sehun’s shoulder lightly. “Including those of humble beginnings. You never know where they may end up.”

He gives Sehun a knowing look and Sehun relaxes, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them and bowing, holding it for a few seconds and straightening up.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” he says, voice shaking slightly. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I will go take a walk in the gardens.”

Kyungsoo nods and steps back, letting Sehun walk out of the dining room. Jongdae gives Kyungsoo a proud smile and follows Sehun, most likely accompanying him on his walk. 

“Would you like to go to the stables with me?” Baekhyun says from behind him. Kyungsoo turns and sees a soft smile gracing Baekhyun’s features. “Perhaps go riding for a bit? You need to distract yourself from the stress a little bit.”

Kyungsoo ponders for a moment before nodding and leading the way to the stables. The walk is mostly quiet, one of them commenting on the weather or the birds every once in a while. When they get close to the stables, Baekhyun stops for a moment and watches the horses graze in the fenced area next to the barn.

“What you said in the dining room,” he starts quietly, tucking his hands into his trouser pockets. He turns to Kyungsoo with a grateful expression. “I don’t think you understand what that meant to him.”

Kyungsoo hums and smiles slightly at a young foal running around it’s mother. “He was a farm boy, wasn’t he?” He turns to Baekhyun and the older man nods. “I suspected as much.”

“What do you mean by that?” Baekhyun asks, the edges hard with defense. Kyungsoo chuckles at the tone and bites hip lip to prevent his smile at Baekhyun bristling. “What?”

“No need to be so defensive, Baekhyun,” he says. “It’s the way he carries himself. He’s humble, caring. I admire and respect him more than any noble that tries to walk into my palace as if he owns it.” 

Baekhyun relaxes and nods, kicking a toe into the dirt and sending a few pebbles skirting across the path. “I apologize. I’m… quite protective of him.”

“I understand,” Kyungsoo says, nudging Baekhyun lightly with his elbow. “If anyone spoke ill of Jongdae, I would act the same.”

“Was Jongdae like them?” Baekhyun asks and begins walking over to the fence. “Sehun and Chanyeol?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head, reaching out a hand to pet the nose of the black mare at the fence. His father’s horse. He smiles when she pushes her nose into his jacket, looking for sugar cubes. 

“Jongdae was an orphan many years ago,” Kyungsoo says, glancing out of the corner of his eye to see Baekhyun pressing his face into the tan colt’s neck, brushing his fingers through his mane. His mother’s horse. 

“He was sitting on out in front of the palace gates. One of the guard’s found him and brought him inside the palace. My grandmother allowed one of the advisors to take him in and raise him as her own.” The mare gets bored of the petting and walks away to graze further down the fence. Kyungsoo turns his attention to the colt, turning red in the ears when he sees Baekhyun looking at him with attentively, fondness peaking through the corners of his eyes. 

“I was born a few months after he had turned fifteen, and all the older advisors had said he vowed to be the head advisor by the time I became king, so that he could aid me in everything and anything,” he smiles at the mention. “He became an advisor the day my mother was crowned queen. He’s been my closest friend since I was born. If anyone spoke ill of him… Well, there’s no telling what I’d do.”

Baekhyun lets out a light laugh at that and lets his hand drop from the colt’s mane. They both watch as he walks away and Baekhyun places his hand next to Kyungsoo’s on the fence, pinkies grazing slightly. 

“You’re a good man, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says after a few minutes of silence. “A very good man. Your parents would be very proud of you. Are very proud of you.” Kyungsoo turns and looks at the older man. Baekhyun smiles when he notices that Kyungsoo’s eyes have gone a little glassy. “Don’t hold it in anymore,” he murmurs, pulling Kyungsoo into his arms. Kyungsoo stiffens for a second before melting completely and wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s waist, feeling himself slowly break apart. “It’s okay to cry.”

As soon as Baekhyun speaks those words, Kyungsoo feels a few tears slide down his cheeks and his shoulders shake from the quiet sobs he lets out. Baekhyun runs a hand up and down the younger’s back. 

“You haven’t had time to grieve,” Baekhyun whispers into Kyungsoo’s hair. “You have so much responsibility. You’ve had to put on a brave face for so long, but it’s okay to cry. I’m here now.”

They stand there, holding each other, until Kyungsoo’s tears run dry and the breeze is a touch too cold for them to continue being outside. Baekhyun wipes Kyungsoo’s face of his tears and cups his cheeks for a moment. His hands are soft and warm, and Kyungsoo can’t help but lean into the touch.

They walk back to the palace at a leisurely pace, Baekhyun’s arm wrapped around Kyungsoo’s waist. Kyungsoo allows himself to lean his weight into Baekhyun, just for now. When they walk into the palace, they’re informed that their lunch is ready and Kyungsoo is shocked at how much time has passed since he and Baekhyun have initially walked out to the stables. 

Kyungsoo is quiet during lunch, most of the conversation happening between the two advisors and the older King. Jongdae nudges Kyungsoo’s foot under the table with his own and sends him a questioning look. Kyungsoo just smiles, small but genuine, and shakes his head. 

When lunch is over, Baekhyun and Sehun leave to Baekhyun’s chambers to attend Norinian matters, and Jongdae leaves to attend an advisors meeting. Kyungsoo chooses to go to the gardens, taking a stroll through the flowers and pushes along the gravel path.

He reaches the back of the garden and sits on the stone bench underneath a large orchid tree. It was his father’s favorite tree and he would often take Kyungsoo to sit underneath, telling stories of the people of the kingdom, heroes and citizens alike. Sitting underneath it had always brought Kyungsoo a sense of calm, however he hasn’t had much time lately to come and relax.

As he gazes out at the garden, Kyungsoo thinks of his parents, something he hasn’t allowed himself to do much. His grief wells up all at once, and this time, he doesn’t hold himself back. He lets himself feel all of it, lets himself feel the sadness, the loneliness. He lets himself breathe.

He sits there and grieves. He grieves and he cries and he nearly throws up at how hard he’s sobbing, but by the time the sun goes down and Jongdae is calling his name from the other side of the garden, he feels lighter. He feels like a weight in his chest has gotten smaller. 

The sadness is still there. His anxiety still persists. However, now, he’s begun to heal.

~

Four days later, they receive word that Survina has accepted a visit and are willing to negotiate. Everyone lets out a sigh of relief when the eldest advisor reads out the letter and immediately preparations begin for traveling.

It takes three days by horse to get to Survina’s capital city, and Kyungsoo hardly sleeps during any of it. He stays wide awake in his tent, listening to the Sehun’s snoring two tents over and the sounds of the guards shuffling at their posts every once in a while. Everyone notices the dark circles under his eyes but nobody says anything.

When they finally arrive, there is no one there to welcome them, simply guards at the gate doing their duties. A guard silently guides the Kings and advisors to their chambers and tells them that their luggage will be brought shortly. Kyungsoo is filled with dread when he realizes that he and Baekhyun have been put in one room.

When he brings up the single room, the guard merely asks coldly, “Aren’t you married?” Baekhyun steps forward, ready to scold the man before Sehun beats him to it.

“You are speaking to Kings,” he spits. “Show some respect unless you would like to receive punishment.”

“You cannot punish me here,” the guard snorts. “This is Survinian land. They are not my Kings.”

“According to your laws, disrespecting any royals, regardless of which kingdom they rule, is punishable by imprisonment,” Sehun says, standing tall and his shoulders set back. He looks nearly four inches taller than the guard, who now shrinks slightly at the sight of him. “Would you like us to inform the Queen about this?”

The guard begins to turn red in the face and he keeps his gaze trained on the floor. “No, I would not,” he says, voice breaking slightly. “My apologies.”

“Go,” Kyungsoo says, voice booming slightly in the empty hallway. “Tell the Queen that we’re waiting for her.” 

The guard nods and bows slightly before quickly walking away, nearly crashing into a servant holding luggage in his haste. “Typical,” Jongdae mutters. “Survinians were never the kindest. I can only imagine what the Queen is like.”

Jongdae and Sehun go to their appropriate chambers, leaving Baekhyun and Kyungsoo to walk into their own. There’s a large bed against one wall, two large windows with a desk pushed against another wall, and an en suite bathroom with a tub large enough to fit four people.

Baekhyun sets a bag onto the desk and begins to pull out clothes to put into the wardrobe next to the bathroom door. “Kyungsoo,” he starts, not looking at the younger man and focusing on his clothes. “If you want me to sleep on the floor, I don’t mind.”

“Why would I do that?” Kyungsoo frowns, stepping next to the desk to watch Baekhyun. “Would you like to sleep on the floor?”

Baekhyun continues folding clothes, still not looking up at Kyungsoo. “Well, not really. I just… don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” At this, Kyungsoo chuckles slightly and grabs Baekhyun’s hands, successfully getting the older man’s attention.

“Baekhyun,” he says, smiling gently. “It’s okay. The bed is certainly big enough for the two of us and I have no qualms about sharing. Besides, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

Baekhyun searches his face for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. “Yes,” he says, giving Kyungsoo’s hands a squeeze. “We are friends. Now, let’s continue unpacking until she’s ready for us.”

They unpack quietly, both of them too nervous for what’s to come. The Queen is unpredictable and no matter what the end result will be, both Kings know that no one will end up gaining anything.

A knock on the door signals that the meeting with the Queen will begin shortly and the Kings are led to a meeting room where her advisors are waiting. The walk there is silent, and Kyungsoo feels like every breath he takes isn’t filling his lungs with enough oxygen. He feels a hand land on the small of his back and he looks to see Baekhyun giving him a small smile.

“It’s okay,” he whispers quietly so the servants guiding them can’t hear. “It’ll be okay.” Kyungsoo nods and reaches for Baekhyun’s hand, who squeezes it lightly and drops it before they reach the room.

The advisors are all there, including Sehun and Jongdae, who are seated with two empty chairs between them. They take their seats and greet the Queen’s advisors, who simply bow slightly and say nothing.

The Queen makes her entrance after a few long minutes of stifling silence. The Kings and their advisors stand to shake her hand and sit down once she’s taken her seat across from them.

“I must say,” she begins, shuffling a few papers together and looking at them with piercing eyes, “I was surprised to learn about your union. You did not inform the other kingdoms.”

“Well, we were surprised to see your ships docked off of the coast of my husband’s kingdom, Your Highness,” Baekhyun says, voice monotone and face impassive. “Besides, we were going to inform everyone, even throw a huge ball for all royals to attend, but of course, when we saw your ships, we had to speed up the process to address the issue.” The Queen’s face twitches slightly and Kyungsoo has to hold himself back from snorting. 

Jongdae stands and bows to the Queen before asking, “Why did you send your ships into our waters? There has been nothing but peace for the past twenty years and suddenly, our fishermen are reporting sightings of warships near the southwestern coast.”

One of her advisors starts to speak up, not showing the same respect to the Kings that Jongdae had done. Baekhyun notices and Kyungsoo sees his fist clenched under the table.

“We were not informed of your impending marriage, and as you well know, Survina has the right to absorb Marenia if their ruler does not marry before the age of 21,” the advisor makes an annoyed face at the Kings. “Had you told us, there would have been no ships in your waters.”

“I am barely 20 years of age,” Kyungsoo says, voice hard and cold. “It was wrong of you to assume I would not be married within the year. Disrespectful, even.”

“No one thought you would be looking to get married now,” the Queen says, a smirk pulling at her lips. “Given the unfortunate timing.”

There’s a small gasp that’s let out from one of Baekhyun’s advisors, but Kyungsoo can’t hear anything over the rush of blood in his ears. “What do you mean, Your Highness?” he asks through clenched teeth.

The Queen simply smiles wickedly and says, “My condolences, Young King.”

The sentence is enough to have Kyungsoo seeing red, Jongdae and Baekhyun having to hold his arms to calm him down. He would never harm another person intentionally, it’s not the way he was raised, but his knuckles turn white from where he’s gripped the edge of the table to prevent him from doing just that.

“Your Highness, I knew you were a cold hearted woman, but the grounds on which you’ve threatened to attack the kingdom of Marenia are immoral,” Sehun says evenly. The Queen glares at him and if looks could kill, Sehun would be nothing but a pile of ash.

“You dare speak to me with disrespect, farm boy?” she says venomously, her face turning red with anger. Sehun shrugs and crosses his arms across his chest, unbothered by the title she uses. “I’m simply showing you the same amount of respect that you and your advisors have shown my King and the King of Marenia.”

The Queen is stunned and Sehun uses her silence to continue. “As I was saying, your method to attempt to overthrow King Kyungsoo was not only immoral, but also illegal.”

The room freezes in shock, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Jongdae whipping their heads around to gape at Sehun. As quickly as her face turned red, the Queen goes absolutely pale and the same advisor scribbling away on a sheet of paper knocks over her pot of ink when she flinches and drops her quill. 

“I’m assuming by your reaction, you knew of this,” Sehun states, looking right at the advisor. The woman has beads of sweat forming on her hairline and she looks everywhere around the room except for Sehun.

“Explain,” the Queen says, voice void of emotion. The advisor whimpers slightly and bows before speaking.

“The kingdoms of this peninsula signed a treaty nearly 400 years ago,” she begins, voice quiet. She speaks up when the Queen tells her to. “Within the treaty, it says that no kingdom is allowed to begin a war, create or end a trade agreement, or combine with a kingdom in grieving. The treaty was signed by all kingdoms, but,” she hesitates, glancing at her Queen in fear, “Survina was the one who initially suggested and created it.”

The fury emitting from the Queen is nearly palpable and she slams her hands on the table, screaming, “Why did you think that it would be wise to hide this from me, you imbecile?!” The advisor covers her head with her hands and tears begin to stream down her cheeks, saying “I apologize” over and over.

“Do you know how long a grieving period lasts, according to the treaty?” Sehun asks the advisor, undeterred by her crying.

“Eighteen months,” she says shakily. Sehun nods and asks, “How long has the kingdom of Marenia been grieving?”

“Fourteen months,” she says. The Queen begins to shake. 

“And do you know what the punishment is for the ruler of a kingdom who violates this treaty?” Sehun says, leaning forward and locking eyes with the advisor.

“Life imprisonment,” she weeps, body shaking with sobs. The Queen slumps back in her seat, completely speechless from what she’s just learned. Gone is the arrogant, wicked Queen from earlier. Only does her shell sit in her chair, staring in disbelief at the two Kings and their entourage.

“As you can see, while the Kings have been wed, no formal agreement in the combination of the two kigdoms has been discussed, nor has it even been thought about,” Sehun says, gesturing to Kyungsoo. “We have not violated this treaty out of respect to King Kyungsoo and the kingdom of Marenia by allowing them to properly grieve the late queen and king before beginning any sort of discussion towards that matter.”

“You, however,” Jongdae speaks up, standing from his seat and leaning his hands onto the table, “have made your intentions clear by disrespecting my King by trying to take advantage of him during his time of mourning. Threatening us by anchoring your warships in our waters falls under starting an unofficial war, as well as using this ridiculous agreement as justification to absorb Marenia into Survina, which falls under the combination of kingdoms, and both are in violation of this treaty.”

The Queen is completely silent, staring at the table in defeat. “Do you wish to imprison me?” she asks bitterly.

“No,” Kyungsoo says, and everyone looks at him, shocked. “I do not wish for Survina to be without a ruler. I do not wish for your kingdom to mourn the loss of their Queen. And your son is only 19,” he pauses. “He is much too young to be a king.”

Baekhyun grabs his hand under the table, warm and anchoring. He pushes on. “I will excuse this attempt at war and excuse both violations of this treaty under one condition. If you accept, I will not take any action in enforcing the punishment.”

The Queen thinks for a moment before nodding. “I will accept your condition, no matter what it is.”

“The agreement between our kingdoms in which the ruler of Marenia is wed before their 21st birthday is null and void,” Kyungsoo says, unsurprised at the way the Queen’s eyes widen. “Your father manipulated my grandmother when she was crowned queen at 18 years old. He used her youth, her inexperience as a ruler, and her lack of guidance as a tool to get what he wanted. I will not be making that same mistake.”

The Queen is quiet for a beat too long, so Baekhyun says, “Unless you want all the kingdoms to vote on your imprisonment, which I promise you will be unanimous, I suggest you agree. I support my husband, but first and foremost, I am a King and I do not take violations of peace treaties very lightly.”

This has the Queen instantly agreeing, telling one of her advisors to create a document stating that the agreement between the two kingdoms has become void. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun dismiss their advisors, only Sehun and Jongdae staying with the Kings as they watch the Survinian advisor begin to write. 

“Your Highness,” Baekhyun says stiffly to the Queen. When she looks up, he raises an eyebrow and says, “I believe you owe my head advisor an apology.”

The Queen gapes at him, opening and closing her mouth before she says in disbelief, “Excuse me?”

“You heard the King,” Jongdae says, hackles raised. “I believe you called him a ‘farm boy’, as if that was something to demean him. May I remind you, that this farm boy is the head advisor to the King of one of the strongest kingdoms on this peninsula and he knew more about your kingdom’s laws than your own advisors, who are of noble status.”

The Queen and her advisors turn beet red and they all stand to bow deeply to Sehun in apology.

“My apologies, advisor,” the Queen mutters. “It will not happen again.”

Sehun just shrugs and chuckles. “My mother always told me that you receive what you give. That if you want respect, you must respect others first. But, then again, what do we know? We’re just farmers.”

His sly smile makes the Kings and older advisor burst into laughter, the Queen and her advisors lowering their heads in shame. When the document is finished, both Sehun and Jongdae read it and approve it before it is signed by all three royals.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun leave first, their advisors choosing to stay behind and make sure the proper steps are taken in regards to the new document. The sun is setting just below the horizon and while Kyungsoo is relieved that the problem was solved quickly, he feels exhausted and even the thought of going to the dining hall makes him want to sit on the floor and cry.

As if he was reading his mind, Baekhyun swings an arm over his shoulder and asks, “How about we ask someone to bring our dinner to our room? I think I’m much too tired to sit and dine with anyone right now.”

Kyungsoo smiles gratefully and nods, wrapping an arm around Baekhyun’s waist, both of them leaning into each other slightly. When they get to their chambers, Baekhyun suggests that Kyungsoo gets ready for bed while he goes to fetch dinner.

Kyungsoo is shrugging on a thin cotton shirt when Baekhyun returns with servants holding plates of food and an extra chair in tow. They set the food on the desk and place the chair next to the desk and depart with a deep bow.

When the door closes, Kyungsoo laughs lightly. “I think word has spread that the people here need to work on their manners.” Baekhyun laughs loudly and sits down at the desk, shaking his head.

“I still can’t believe everything that’s happened. It’s like everything was from a story or some sort of play,” he says, still laughing breathlessly in disbelief. “I’m just so in shock.”

“I know I’ve been King for just over a year, so there’s a lot I don’t know of yet,” Kyungsoo says, picking at his grilled vegetables. “But I don’t think even Jongdae remembered that treaty’s existence.”

“Sehun has always had the best memory and he loves to learn new things,” Baekhyun says around a mouthful of blackened fish. “He used to be an errand boy for my father and one day, I invited him to sit in with me during my lessons. He took to it like a fish in water.”

Kyungsoo chews his mouthful and looks at Baekhyun curiously. “Is that how he became your advisor?” 

“Yes,” Baekhyun says, smiling fondly at the memory. “I’m only about two years older than him, so we liked to play together as children. When I was around 13, I convinced my father to allow him to take classes with me. He always liked learning more than I did anyways, so my father saw it fit that at least one of us should know what to do when it came time for me to rule. When my father abdicated the throne and I became King three years ago, I immediately asked him to be my advisor. I couldn’t think of anyone else to do the job as well as he has.”

“Your friendship is beautiful,” Kyungsoo says softly. “You’re truly blessed to have someone like him to help you.”

Baekhyun nods and takes a bite of his bread. He chews thoughtfully and swallows before saying, “It was his idea that we get married. So perhaps, I have to thank him.”

“Thank him?” Kyungsoo asks. “For getting us married?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun grins, his eyes curving beautifully and his cheeks plumping slightly. “Had he not presented the idea, we would have never become friends, Kyungsoo. I’m very grateful for that.”

Kyungsoo lets out a surprised laugh and pushes at Baekhyun’s shoulder playfully. “Perhaps,” he says teasingly. “Perhaps I’m more grateful than you think.”

In a moment of bravery, Kyungsoo presses a chaste kiss on Baekhyun’s cheek, smiling when the older makes a surprised noise. Baekhyun’s hand flies up to touch his cheek and his mouth is curved in pleasant surprise. 

“You’re a sly little thing, aren’t you?” Baekhyun laughs and watches as Kyungsoo shakes his head and begins stacking plates. “You’re just a playful boy underneath that serious face.”

“They call me Young King for a reason,” Kyungsoo sing songs, taking the plates and heading towards the door. “Get ready for bed. I’ll fetch someone to take these.”

Kyungsoo walks through the halls for a few minutes before he finally sees a servant. She bows and apologizes for not waiting for the Kings to finish their meal and Kyungsoo just chuckles and says she has no reason to apologize. When he gets back to the room, Baekhyun is blowing out the last of the candles. 

“Let’s rest, shall we?” Kyungsoo asks, hiding his sudden nervousness at sharing a bed with the older man. Baekhyun nods, blowing out the last candle. They crawl into bed together, nearly a foot of space between them. 

The moon shining through the windows provides enough light that Kyungsoo can see the outline of Baekhyun’s body and a few of his facial features. Even in the dark, Baekhyun looks beautiful. Kyungsoo shakes his head slightly to rid himself of those thoughts and is about to close his eyes when Baekhyun speaks.

“Kyungsoo… What do you think about the future of our union? Of our kingdoms?” he whispers, not wanting to break the delicate atmosphere. Kyungsoo hums slightly and unconsciously moves forward, closer to Baekhyun’s warmth. He catches himself and tries to move back, but Baekhyun shoots a hand out to grab Kyungsoo’s arm and pulls him closer, their noses nearly touching from their proximity. 

“I think,” Kyungsoo starts softly, “that it would be in our best interests to stay together.” He watches for Baekhyun’s reaction, but in the dark, he can’t see much but the fluttering of his eyelashes and the curve of his mouth. “I don’t mind being married to you as much as I thought I would. It would benefit both of our kingdoms to combine. More resources for our citizens.”

“And less of a chance for the other kingdoms to mess with us,” Baekhyun murmurs jokingly, and they let out soft giggles, thinking about the whirlwind they’ve just been put through. 

“Regardless,” Baekhyun says after they’ve both calmed down. “I will wait until the grieving period is over for us to begin discussions of combining the kingdoms. I want you to have more time to think about this and for us to know each other better. I just wanted to know what your thoughts are right now.”

Kyungsoo is quiet for a moment before he lifts a hand and cups Baekhyun’s cheek. “You’re a wonderful man, Baekhyun,” he whispers, smiling when Baekhyun leans into the touch. “I’m very glad I asked you for help that day.”

“The feeling is mutual, Young King,” Baekhyun whispers. He leans forward and presses a kiss to the corner of Kyungsoo’s mouth. “Now, get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

It was the best sleep Kyungsoo’s had in over a year.

~

Kyungsoo is sitting underneath the big orchid tree when Jongdae finds him. There’s a layer of fresh snow on the ground and it’s positively freezing, yet Kyungsoo finds himself smiling widely as he watches Jongdae waddle in his huge coat and boots. He dusts a bit of snow off the bench before plopping down next to Kyungsoo and immediately cuddling the King for a bit more warmth.

“He’s arriving today, isn’t he?” Jongdae asks, watching a pair of birds hop around an empty bird bath. “It’s been nearly six months since you’ve seen him.”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says, glancing up at the bare tree branches. “He arrives today. I don’t know why I am so nervous.”

Jongdae smiles and rests his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, allowing a few minutes of silence before he says, “Your father loved this tree.”

“I remember,” Kyungsoo says, voice tinged with something. Not sadness. Nostalgia. “He used to take me out here and show me which buds would bloom first. He’d show me all the birds and the insects crawling around. Tell me stories, real and fairytales alike. This was his happy place.”

“You know, he did the same for me,” Jongdae says, laughing when Kyungsoo let out a surprised noise. “I was just a boy when I arrived at the palace. While your mother took care of her royal duties, your father would take me everywhere. The kitchens, the stables, but his and my favorite place was the gardens, right under this tree.

“He told me so many stories here. I learned about life, love, respect, honor. Your father was my greatest teacher,” he sniffles slightly when he feels himself getting choked up and Kyungsoo wraps an arm around his back.

“Kyungsoo,” he starts, pointedly not addressing Kyungsoo by his title and simply addressing him as a friend. “If there’s anything I want you to know, it’s that your father loved you so much. I still remember the day he found out the queen was pregnant. I was waiting for him under this tree and he ran over to me, laughing and howling with joy that she was with child.”

Kyungsoo feels his vision going blurry and the lump in his throat grow larger. “And when I worked at your mother’s right hand, I saw just how much she loved you. She would interrupt meetings just to ask the servants how you were doing, if you had eaten, if you were attending your lessons,” Jongdae lets out a watery laugh at the memory. “She always said you would make a wonderful King. And she was right.

“They would be so proud of the man you are today. I know that they are proud of you for defending your kingdom and for marrying such a good man and King,” Jongdae says, wiping away Kyungsoo’s tears. “And I, too, am proud of you.”

“Thank you, Jongdae,” Kyungsoo chokes out, tears falling faster by the second. “I love you.”

Jongdae pulls him into a tight hug, whispering ‘I love you, too’ into Kyungsoo’s neck and holding him until both their tears dry up. They’re quiet for a few minutes simply holding each other before Jongdae pulls back.

“King Baekhyun is good for you,” he says, smiling brightly, his eyes still a little shiny. “When he arrived, you were about to hit your breaking point. Since you’ve met him, you’ve started to heal.”

“He means a lot to me,” Kyungsoo says, turning red in the cheeks. “Surely you’ve noticed, but we’ve been writing letters nonstop since our return from Survina. It’s like… every letter I received from him, I just wished he was here with me instead of so far.”

“You’re in love with him,” Jongdae says in wonder. When Kyungsoo nods, he begins to squeal and playfully hit Kyungsoo on the shoulder. “Oh, heavens, Your Majesty! You’re in love!”

“Oh, hush,” Kyungsoo says, his entire face warm, but he’s not embarrassed. “I saw you flirting with one of the bakers the other day. I was wondering why she had given us the bread and not one of the other girls, and I swore I saw you wink at her.”

Jongdae merely smirks and says, “Young King, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.”

They joke and laugh for a while longer before it’s simply too cold to stay out any longer, and they practically run back to the palace. There’s a servant waiting at the door and he helps them take off their coats. 

“You came right on time, Your Majesty,” the young boy, Chanyeol, smiles. “The King of Norina has just arrived.”

“Already?” Kyungsoo asks in shock. When Chanyeol nods, Kyungsoo lets out a panicked noise and turns to Jongdae. “Jongdae, I’m not ready.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes and dismisses Chanyeol, choosing to walk (drag) Kyungsoo to the main hall. “Yes, you are. You’ve been waiting for this for months.” 

Kyungsoo says nothing, but continues to let out little whines until Jongdae scolds him to stop being such a baby. When they arrive at the doors to the meeting room, Kyungsoo stops.

“What if he doesn’t feel the same?” he whispers, biting his lip in worry. Jongdae turns and grasps Kyungsoo’s shoulders, giving them a light squeeze.

“You’ll be fine, Your Majesty,” he says gently, a reassuring smile gracing his features. “Now, go on. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

Kyungsoo nods, taking two deep breaths before opening the door and walking inside. Immediately, he spots Baekhyun pacing back and forth in the middle of the room. He stops when he hears the door open and is absolutely glowing when he sees Kyungsoo.

“Hello,” he says, his grin too large for his face and pulling at his cheeks. “Hello, Kyungsoo. I’ve missed you.”

Kyungsoo says nothing, choosing to walk over to where Baekhyun is standing. It’s unclear who initiates it first, but suddenly they’re embracing each other tightly, Baekhyun whispering ‘I missed you’ into Kyungsoo’s hair and Kyungsoo pressing soft kisses onto Baekhyun’s shoulder in return. They don’t know how long they stand there, but when they pull apart, they are the only people in the room. 

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Kyungsoo whispers, cupping Baekhyun’s cheek with one hand, his other arm wrapped around the older’s waist. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Baekhyun’s eyes shine with fondness and he kisses the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose. “You’ve gotten more beautiful since I last saw you. I didn’t think it was possible.”

Kyungsoo snorts out a surprised laugh and taps Baekhyun’s cheek lightly. “Oh, quiet, you flirt. Let’s go to the dining room. Everyone must be waiting.”

They slowly walk to the dining room, hand in hand, and talk about the trip to Marenia’s capital city and the falling snow. They’re close to the dining room when Baekhyun says, “Oh, wait! I wanted to tell you something.”

They stop in the middle of the hallway and Kyungsoo tilts his head slightly. “What is it?”

“Okay, well two things,” Baekhyun says, speaking fast like an excited puppy. “First thing: how would you feel about having a proper wedding ceremony? Sometimes, I wish we could have something bigger than what we had before.” Kyungsoo laughs and quickly agrees, asking what his second thing is.

“I thought of a name,” Baekhyun says, rocking back and forth on his heels. “You know, for when we combine the kingdoms. I told Sehun and he said it’s a good name.”

“What is it, love?” Kyungsoo says, holding both of Baekhyun’s hands in his own.

“Valoria,” Baekhyun whispers excitedly. “Valor means bravery and courage. I feel like what happened with our kingdoms and Survina could’ve only been resolved with courage and strength. Valor represents us and it represents our citizens. So… Valoria.”

Kyungsoo stands there, stunned at the suggestion and the only thing he can think of doing is pulling Baekhyun into a kiss. So that’s what he does.

Baekhyun makes a muffled noise of surprise but easily melts into the kiss, gripping Kyungsoo’s waist gently and pulling him even closer. When they pull apart, they grin widely at each other.

“I love it,” Kyungsoo says breathlessly. “Valoria. It’s perfect. You are perfect.”

Baekhyun laughs and places one last kiss on Kyungsoo’s lips before he whispers, “I love you, Kyungsoo. May our reign be successful and everlasting.”

Kyungsoo smiles and presses his cheek against Baekhyun’s. “I love you, too, Baekhyun. Long live Valoria.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for making it to the end!! 
> 
> alright, if there's one huge thing i want anyone to take away from this, it's to let yourself be sad sometimes and to lean on those who love you. like kyungsoo found solace and trust in baekhyun, its okay for you to do the same. cry a little, i promise that even if you dont feel better after, you will feel lighter.
> 
> also, i want to say a quick sorry for not including all of the members in this. the pace of the story is quite fast and i didnt make a lot of opportunities to introduce many new characters. if it helps, i imagined the queen's son to be jongin, who is the complete opposite of his mother (sweet, caring, respectful, a literal baby angel)
> 
> if you liked my work, please leave me some kudos or a little comment, those always make my little baby heart so happy.
> 
> here is my [twitter](https://twitter.com/yibosbbh) and [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/fraisebbh) so if anyone has any questions about this fic (the geography, backstories, basically things i couldnt fit in when i was writing) yall can ask me and i will be 100% glad to answer :D
> 
> thanks again for reading!!!!


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